


Married But Alone

by medievalstranger



Category: Reign (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-02-12 23:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 14,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2128266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/medievalstranger/pseuds/medievalstranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary went to Scotland with her brother and Francis was left in France. And now they struggle to put each other first above anything else. Will the distance between them strengthen their love or will it destroy the marriage that they both value?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Reign or any of its characters.

Francis woke up in the middle of the night with an excruciating pain in his right ear; it’s as if someone’s drilling inside attempting to penetrate his eardrum. This has been happening for three consecutive nights and so far, tonight is the most painful. But he must admit that all this physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain that he is feeling brought by Mary’s absence, she’s been in Scotland for an entire month now and he’s been hurt by the fact that they parted on painful terms. He tried to hinder Mary from coming to Scotland when he discovered that someone was planning to kill her and yet she didn’t listen, thank God she arrived safe. He wanted to come with her but his duties to France obstructed him, he promised Mary that he’ll follow her after two weeks, but to his dismay, he’s still in France, lonely, sick and feeling utterly useless to his wife. He pulls out the letter Mary wrote her one week ago, reading it again somehow wipes the pain temporarily.

My dear Francis,  
I’m sorry if it took so long for me to write to you, I have just been so busy here in Scotland, we managed to stop the uprisings and my main concern now is to help my country to recover. My advisers told me all the things I need to learn here since I grew up in France and not in my own country.  
But enough of that, I wrote to you mainly because I was becoming worried, you told me you’ll follow me here and yet it has been three weeks and I have yet to see your face, has something happened in France? How is your father? I miss you, I wish you’re here with me, come to me when things in French court are all under control. I’ll be waiting.  
Love,  
Mary

Francis folded the letter and hid it somewhere safe, he already wrote her back and he hated to let her know that he won’t be coming to Scotland anytime soon; he was also angered by the fact that both Nostradamus and his mother hindered him from reuniting with his wife. He recalled his conversation with Nostradamus yesterday morning because he still can’t comprehend why he was forced by Nostradamus to stay.

“Nostradamus, I came here to ask if you have a medicine for an aching ear, the pain kept me up all night and I can’t seem to focus on anything but the discomfort.” Nostradamus was shocked upon hearing Francis, and as much as he tried to hide it, Francis already noticed his odd reaction.

“Is everything alright? Have I said something wrong?”  
“Pardon me your grace, I didn’t quite catch what you said” 

“My ear is painful and I need medicine for it, do you have one?  
Nostradamus knew from then on that his end is near. If Francis dies, he’ll die with him. The queen will not let him survive for wrongly interpreting his visions, for not seeing Francis’ death beforehand. He told the queen that it is alright for Francis and Mary to be married because the prophecy was fulfilled when Clarissa died, but just after the wedding he saw another vision that indicates that Francis will die because of an ear infection. And that’s what happening now, he must keep Francis alive if he wish to stay alive as well.

“I have something to relieve the pain, but I’m afraid the relief will only be temporary”. Nostradamus said as he handled the small bottle to Francis.

“It’s okay, I’m sure the pain will go away soon, I’ll get another bottle before I leave for Scotland, just in case”

“Your grace, I’m afraid you’re not fit to travel, not with your condition”

“condition? Nostradamus don’t be silly, it’s only an aching ear, I’m not in the brink of death”

“but I still need to observe your condition your grace, you might get worse, let me at least examine your ear to understand why it’s hurting”

“you worry too much Nostradamus, I’ll be fine”

“your grace, I’m afraid I’ll still have to inform your mother about your condition”

“If you must, but you can’t hinder me for long”

Until now, Francis still doesn’t know why Nostradamus panicked over a mere ear ache, but worrying about him is not his top concern, he needs to make sure that everything’s under control in France before he can go to Scotland and be with his queen.


	2. Chapter 2

His father has lost his mind, his wife is away and he isn’t feeling well because of his ear, things can’t possibly get any worse, that’s what Francis thought, but apparently his wrong. Just this morning, his father informed him of his crazy plan to take back Calais. It wasn’t even a plan to begin with, his father already deployed soldiers to surround Calais and Francis knew it is too late to stop this war but he also knows that he can still do something to rectify his father’s mistake. Although it pains him to do it, he informed Mary that it may take months before he can follow her to Scotland.

My dear Mary,  
How are things there in Scotland? But most importantly, how are you, my wife? I know you how you dislike political meetings with your advisers, I would have loved to see your annoyed face while they rant trivial things about the state. I wish I was there to keep you entertained the same way you kept me entertained here in French court, you were there for me when I needed you and I know it’s not fair for you to be alone in Scotland now. You know it very much that I would do anything to be with you, but I must inform you that I will be going to Calais next morning, at the time that you receive this letter, I’m already on my way there. It all happened so quickly that even I couldn’t stop it from happening, my father already ordered soldiers to go there and thousands of lives will be lost if I didn’t go there at once.

I can almost picture your face while reading this, I know that you miss me Mary, believe me, I do. And I miss you too more than you could ever imagine, I often wake up in the middle of the night only to realize that you aren’t here by my side, I miss your eyes, your smile, your face, your smell, I miss all of you, remembering the moments we shared together is the only thing that gets me through the day. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you, promise me you’ll wait for me, no matter how long.

Love,  
Francis 

Francis didn’t bother to mention to Mary the piercing pain in his ear, he doesn’t want his wife to be worried by such little things, he just wish that the distance between them will not break their marriage, he’ll have to die first before he let that happen.

Francis has just sent the letter to Mary when he received another letter from his wife, he doesn’t know why but he’s quite sure this letter isn’t bearing any good news.

My dear Francis, 

It’s been a month now and you still aren’t here, I long for you, I don’t want to sound selfish but is it bad for me to wish that you should just drop everything there and come to me? 

I can’t help but to feel alone here, surely your mother can manage things in France for a short period of time, I can’t go back there now, and even if I want to, my advisers won’t allow me. They say that Scotland needs their queen now more than ever, we are just beginning to stabilize the rule here, if I leave now, things would go stumbling back down, that’s why I need you here. My advisers told me that my people, our people needs to see France and Scotland as allies, and what better way to prove that than you coming here and meeting Scottish communities, that way, they’ll see for themselves that our marriage is a symbol of friendship of our two countries. 

Come here Francis, Scotland needs you, I need you. 

Love,   
Mary

Francis folds the paper weakly; he can’t help but imagine Mary’s disappointment when she receives the letter he just sent. He feels awful for letting his wife down, letting her country down; his father couldn’t have picked a better time to attack Calais, if only he received Mary’s letter sooner, he would have traveled to Scotland right away, but what of the French soldiers whose blood would be spilled? He has to admit that he too is being selfish for wanting to rush into his wife’s side, but what’s done is done, he has made his decision, he’s traveling to Calais and that’s final.


	3. Chapter 3

Mary is feeling really excited for the coming of his husband, she’s very sure that her letter has managed to convince him to come to Scotland, at any day now he’ll get on a ship and soon they will be united, as a husband and wife should be.

Mary’s thoughts were disturbed when she heard someone knocking at her door.

“Your grace, I’m sorry to disturb you, but a letter has arrived from the Dauphin of France”

“ a letter?” Mary said confusingly, she’s clearly disappointed, she thinks that Francis should be here, not just a letter of his, whatever it is he has to say, he can say it in person.

The servant gave her the letter, “Thank you, you can leave now” Mary mumbled dryly.  
She gathered all the strength she have and began reading the letter. By the time she finished reading it, she realized she haven’t moved a single muscle, she’s still letting the words sink in.

“I will be going to Calais next morning, at the time that you receive this letter, I’m already on my way there.” 

She still has to wait several months before she sees her husband again, and that is if he even survives the battle. Mary felt herself crumble, she certainly didn’t expect this news, and to say that she is disappointed is a huge understatement. The letter also implied that Francis has yet to read the latest letter she sent for there weren’t any response to the things that she said. A pile of emotions surge into her heart, she’s now filled with regret, if only she sent her letter to Francis a lot sooner, he would not be traveling to Calais but to Scotland. 

She slowly sits near the fireplace, attempting to warm the coldness she feels inside, her feelings of excitement were now replaced with indifference, indifference towards the affairs of the state, indifference towards the festivities outside, indifference towards everything. She walks to the door and talked to her guard.

“Don’t let anyone in, I don’t want to be disturbed”

She closed the door and let herself drown with loneliness, there’s no one here to comfort her, her ladies are all in France, Lola is married to Lord Julien, Kenna is married to Bash, Greer is engaged to Lord Castleroy and Aylee is dead and her husband might soon follow her fate. Mary always felt that she is alone since she arrived in Scotland, but she never felt that she is lonely, until now.

~^oOo^~

There isn’t any time left to write Mary back, and he felt guilty for it, it would be weeks before he can write her again, writing a letter while in the battlefield, isn’t entirely practical, but he still thinks that it is the least he could do to comfort her wife that is so far away and beyond his reach. He can’t help to also wonder about Mary’s reaction about him going to Calais, was she angry? Disappointed? Concerned? He just hope that she will be able to forgive him because he won’t be able to forgive himself if he died without taking a last glance to his beloved wife.

“Wait for me Mary, wait for me” he silently mumbled 

 

~^oOo^~

It’s been two months since her husband has left for Calais and a lot has changed since then, Mary became used to the way of life in Scotland, surely she still feels lonely sometimes but the pain of not being with her husband has become bearable, she have made some friends here and the people seems to love her as well, she actively joins the festivities and goes to every ceremony she needs to attend. She now feels that Scotland is becoming her true home, even though she didn’t grew up here; she certainly feels that this is a place where she belongs.

Mary is watching her people dance to the lively Scottish music through her window, when she heard someone enter her chambers. She turned around and found out that it was her mother.

“Mary, why don’t you go downstairs and enjoy the festivities? Our guests are looking for their queen.”

“I’ll rest here for a while and go back there when I’m ready.” Mary said wearily.

“Why, is there something wrong? Are you ill, darling?” her mother said with concern.

“No mother, I guess I’m just tired, and the smell of different foods made me dizzy”

“Do you want me to get the doctor for you?”

“You don’t need to mother, I’ll be fine” Mary said convincingly though she noticed that her mother remained unconvinced.

“What else are you feeling, dear?”

“I feel nauseous since this morning, I think it’s because of something I ate, it will go away soon, I already took some medicine for it.”

“Anything else?” her mother said curiously

“nothing out of the ordinary, I just noticed I’ve been urinating frequently.”

“How long has it been since you had your period’?

“wha--, why? I don’t think it’s relevant.”

“how long?” her mother asked again, impatiently this time.

“I haven’t had my period since I arrived here in Scotland” Mary said, she only realized what she said when she saw her mother’s shock yet jovial expression.

“oh mother, you don’t think that I’m---, that I’m” Mary said, she can’t even say the word, uttering it out loud would seem surreal.

“Pregnant?” her mother interrupted, “oh yes dear, I think you are!” she said with delight.


	4. Chapter 4

Mary still couldn’t believe what’s happening, the midwife came this morning and confirmed that she really is pregnant, three months pregnant to be exact. She can only imagine Francis’ face when he finds out, of course she won’t inform him through a mere letter, she needs to say it in person, she needs to see his face when she tells him the good news, but the good news will have to wait until Francis arrive from Calais, and she couldn’t wait any second longer.

~^oOo^~

Two months have passed and there still is no sign of Francis, she’s now 5 months pregnant and the bump in her belly is more obvious now, and she’s been annoyed by the fact that if Francis finally comes home, he’ll immediately know that she is pregnant because of her belly. There would be no “I have great news for you!” moment, he’ll know from the moment he laid eyes on her. But that doesn’t matter anymore, all she wants now is for her husband to come home, and for their baby to be born healthy. She experienced terrible mood swings these past few months, she even snapped at her servants, some nights she’s extremely cheerful and other nights she’s awfully depressed, and tonight is one of that nights. 

Mary hugs her pillow while sobbing silently; she worries about her husband all day and all night, but tonight is different, she isn’t just worried about Francis, she’s also angry at him. She’s angry by the fact that he isn’t home, that he’s letting her do this alone, that he isn’t here to comfort her, that isn’t here to save her from her misery. 

“Why am I being so selfish?” Mary said out loud. If someone could hear her now, they would immediately think that she has lost her mind. 

She misses him so bad, she misses him every day, she miss his hands around her, she miss the mornings that they wake up in each other’s arms, she miss hearing his voice, she miss his blond curls, his gentle hands, his blue eyes, she miss everything about him. She often prays that their child will look like Francis; she prays that their child will have blond hair, blue eyes and fair skin. But for now, she can only hope that Francis will be here soon, and the only way to convince him is to write another letter.

My dear Francis,

I don’t know what to say anymore, I wrote you so many letters, convincing you to come to Scotland, but you’re still not here. What do I need to do for you to come to me? You said that you’d be here as soon as you can but it’s been five months, five long months Francis. I have great news for you but I’m afraid I will have to say it in person.

Come here Francis please  
Don’t let me do this alone, please don’t.

Love,  
Mary  
~^oOo^~

“Open the gates!” the guard said, Francis and his troops finally came home to France after a long victorious battle in Calais. King Henry and Queen Catherine couldn’t be prouder of their son.

“They did it!” Catherine joyfully said, relieved that her son is finally home, safe and sound.

“Of course they did, have you not have any faith? God wanted us to win that war, and we did.” Henry said as he watched all the soldiers march slowly near the entrance of the gate.

Bash was there too, he watched Francis as he dismounts his horse.

“It’s been a long time, brother” Bash said with relief that his brother is unharmed

“It is” Francis hugged Bash, thankful that he’s now home safe.

“Tell me, what have been happening here in French court, any good news? Francis said

“What you really want to ask is: has Mary come back yet?” Bash said jokingly, Francis smiled a bit.

“Unfortunately brother, she isn’t here, she’s still in Scotland.” Francis’ smile wears off upon hearing the news

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll go to her instead.” Francis said, trying to remain positive about the situation

“Let’s just hope that father will allow you to do that” Bash said calmly

“even if he didn’t, I’d still go anyway, it’s been five months since I last saw my wife, it isn’t fair for her to be alone in Scotland, and I also promised her that I’ll go there as soon as the battle in Calais is over” Francis responded

“alright then, in the meantime, let’s celebrate your glorious victory brother.” Bash said as he taps his brother’s back

~^oOo^~

Francis is about to go to sleep when he felt his ear hurt, it’s the most excruciating so far, he has been experiencing occasional throbbing in his ear when they were in Calais and the pain is becoming more frequent and agonizing, each time more painful than the former. He doesn’t know how to stop it, the medicine Nostradamus gave him barely works anymore, even if he took medicine, the pain would still be there, he still haven’t told Mary about this, and he doesn’t think he should. In fact, he isn’t planning on telling anyone in French court about it, especially his mother, he knows it very much that she will just hinder him from going to Scotland, and he can’t allow that to happen.

The next morning, King Henry called for a small meeting which required Francis to attend; Francis barely even slept yet, the pain in his ear kept him up all night again. In that same meeting, Francis is planning to ask for his mother and father’s permission to go to Scotland. He is becoming excited of the idea of going there. In just a few days, he’ll see his wife again and they would finally be together after five long months. He just hopes that nothing would go wrong.

~^oOo^~

Francis stood there, bored as usual, his father is saying something about the victory in Calais, how it is all in God’s will, he barely heard the words that his father is saying when he felt it again. That pain, that tormenting pain in his right ear, “Why would this happen now?” Francis cursed in his head, “this can’t happen now, they would know, and they wouldn’t let me out of there sight if they found out that I’m ill” these are the thoughts that run in Francis’ head. 

Before he knew it, he found himself falling on his knees while his right hand covers his ear, as if doing those could relieve his pain, his mother rushed to him and the last thing he saw was Mary’s face, or at least he thought he did.


	5. Chapter 5

Francis woke up in his bed, the first thing he saw was her mother and brother’s face.

“Francis!” Catherine and Bash both said in unison.

“Are you all right, Francis? You collapsed earlier, are you feeling better now?” Catherine said almost hysterically

“Brother, Nostradamus said that you came to him four months ago, and you asked for a medicine for your ear, this has been going on for some time, why didn’t you tell us anything?” Bash said demandingly

“I’m not a child anymore Bash, I won’t go running to my mother or my brother whenever I’m hurting, I can handle myself.” Francis insisted

Francis saw a servant walked in and put a bowl of soup on the table.

“Have you packed my things yet?” Francis said

“Yes, your grace”

“Things? What things?” Catherine said clearly confused

“I’m going to Scotland tomorrow mother, I was going to say that earlier during the meeting” Francis responded

“You can’t go to Scotland now Francis, it’s dangerous for your condition!” Catherine said loudly

“you can’t stop me mother, I’ve already decided. It’s been five months since I last saw Mary, I followed all the things you told me while I’m here, and now I have to go to my wife, she needs me there” Francis said distantly 

“why does she needs you there? If you want to see her wife so badly, let her come here! You are in no condition to travel and you know that” Catherine said continuing the argument while Bash sits quietly in the corner, he doesn’t exactly know who to side, he agrees that Francis shouldn’t go to Scotland now, it’s too dangerous, and yet he also understands that his brother longs for his wife, so he chose to stay quiet instead.

“I promised Mary that I will go to her and I will not break that promise just because of a silly ear ache” Francis said furiously

“Francis! You will not go to Scotland, I won’t allow you to” Catherine said at the top of her voice

“I’m not a child anymore, mother!” Francis is becoming even more furious now

“This conversation is over Francis, you are not going to Scotland unless you get well, I’m putting guards outside your room, don’t even try to escape.” 

“You’re locking me inside my own room? This is madness!” Francis’ voice is at full volume now, he can’t believe his mother is doing this, he isn’t done talking yet when Catherine walks out of the room.

“I’m doing this for your own sake Francis, please understand” Catherine quietly said before she closed the door.

Francis focused his attention to his brother now

“Bash, you can’t let them do this” Francis said almost pleadingly

“rest first Francis, I’ll try my best to help you, but for now, rest please, you need it” Bash said calmly before he too left the room

Francis is now alone in his room, seconds later, a servant came in.

“I’m terribly sorry to bother you your grace but there’s a letter here from Mary Queen of Scotland”

Francis mood brighten up, he has wanted to hear from Mary and the time has finally come.

“Thank you” he said to the servant

He braced himself for what he’s about to read, hopefully this letter contains good news.

After he read the letter, he was wondering what the “great news” is, his wife is clearly excited about it and so is he.

He wrote a response to her quickly

My dearest Mary,

I just got back from Calais and thankfully we emerged victorious, don’t worry, I’m not wounded or anything, I just miss you terribly. I want to come to Scotland and be with you, believe me, I really do.  
But my mother’s not letting me leave France for some trivial reason, I’ll be right there as soon as I escape my mother’s meddling. I won’t let you face your troubles alone Mary, I love you and I’ll be there as soon as you know it.

Love,  
Francis

Francis kept the letter short, he’s going to say all the things he needs to say to Mary in person, and his ear is hurting terribly again that he kept pausing every time he writes a word. Francis thought it best that he should just rest for a while in order for the pain to go away, and as he lay on his bed, he thought of Mary, wondering how it might be if she was here beside him. And in that moment he made up his mind, if he can’t make his mother see reason, he would just obey her and strive to get better; he got up and drank his medicine wishing that when he wakes up the next morning, the pain would be just a terrible nightmare.

“Mary, I’ll be there soon” was the last words he spoke before he fell back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

“Have you heard any news from France yet?” Mary said to her advisers, they were in the throne room and she was doing her best to remain calm. Her mother would reprimand her if she sees her freaking out, “it’s not good for the baby” her mother will always say. But she can’t help it, waiting for the news is agonizing. 

“The messenger said that French soldiers have returned from Calais, they were successful on retrieving it from the hands of the English” one of her advisers finally said.

“and what about my husband? Is he back in France too? Is he alright?”

“The messenger didn’t mention any specific details your grace, but I was told that there were many casualties, hundreds of lives have been lost, both French and English”

Mary was lost with words, that news hasn’t been comforting at all, in fact it made her feel the opposite.

“Mary, you worry too much” her mother finally said

“I will write to Queen Catherine and ask about the Dauphin, in the meantime, you need to stop worrying, if something bad happened to the crowned prince of France, I’m sure they will let us know right away.” Her mother said again, but more convincingly this time

“Mother, you know I’ve never been good at waiting, I’ll go there myself and find out what happened.” Mary said firmly  
“go there? to France? May I remind you darling that you’re pregnant! You can’t just go there right away, it would be dangerous, you can have a miscarriage on your way there!” her mother said almost frantically

“I’ll take the midwife with me, or a doctor, or whomever you want, just please let me go to my husband, I need to know if he’s safe.” Mary said piteously 

“you’re not only risking your life but also the life of the future heir to the throne of Scotland and France!” 

“I know that mother!”

“and you’re still willing to risk it after knowing the consequences?” 

“I will be careful, can you not trust me?” Mary angrily said. The attention of the noblemen at court is now focused to her and her mother.

“this is not about trusting you Mary! It’s about the danger that you might encounter if you go to France!”

“this conversation is going on circles mother, I will go to Scotland with or without your blessing” Mary said with conviction

“Your grace, I’m afraid I have to agree with your mother, traveling to France now is not safe for you and your baby.” One of her advisers said

“not you too Lord Edward” Mary said the intenseness in her voice now gone

“May I advise that you wait for just a few more days for the news of your husband, your grace” Lord Edward said calmly

“I’ll wait until tomorrow for my husband’s letter, if it didn’t come, I’ll go to France myself.” Mary said ending the conversation. She marched to her room leaving her mother and the rest of the noblemen stupefied. 

Later that evening, while Mary lazily brush her hair, a servant entered

“Your grace, a letter has arrived from the Dauphin of France” Mary was immensely relieved upon hearing the news, this means that her husband has safely returned to France and she can’t wait to open the letter.

“Thank you, you may leave now” Mary managed to mumble before the servant leave.

She slowly opened the letter with quivering hands.

My dearest Mary,

I just got back from Calais and thankfully we emerged victorious, don’t worry, I’m not wounded or anything, I just miss you terribly. I want to come to Scotland and be with you, believe me, I really do.  
But my mother’s not letting me leave France for some trivial reason, I’ll be right there as soon as I escape my mother’s meddling. I won’t let you face your troubles alone Mary, I love you and I’ll be there as soon as you know it.

Love,  
Francis

As much as she’s relieved, she’s also confused about her husband’s letter. She doesn’t understand why Francis didn’t state the true reason why he couldn’t come to Scotland. This “trivial reason” made her even more curious, for a split second she considered writing to Queen Catherine to inquire about this matter, but she doesn’t want to go behind her husband’s back. But what could possibly hinder her husband from coming to her, if it’s so “trivial” then why didn’t he bother to mention it, why did he sound secretive in the letter, and Mary also noticed that this letter is the shortest so far. She knew from then on that Francis is trying to hide something, she doesn’t know about it yet but she’s going to find out soon. She trusts her husband but she doesn’t appreciate him keeping her in the dark.

Mary quickly wrote a response to Francis and went straight to bed.

~^oOo^~

Francis couldn’t stand his mother anymore, she assigned several guards to follow him wherever he go, he thought the whole idea is ridiculous, as if he could just grab a horse, outrun those guards and go to Scotland. He told his mother that the guards are unnecessary but she still insisted.

Days later, he received a letter from Mary and he opened it as soon as his mother and the servants left his room.

My dear Francis,

I am so glad to hear that you are safe and back at French court, I was very worried about you for the past four months, I have not been sleeping well and I’ll be lying to you if I say that I’m alright now, because I’m not, I’ll never be alright as long as you’re not here.

You told me that your mother was hindering you to go here because of some “trivial reason”, what might this be? I can sense that you’re not telling me everything, and whatever your reason may be, I can assure that we’ll go through this together, as long as you tell me everything I need to know. It’s bad enough that you’re not here and it’s even worse knowing that you’re keeping secrets from me.

Anyway, since you’ve been making excuses for not coming here, I’ve decided that I’ll come there instead, there’s something I need to tell you, you’ll know it as soon as you see me.

I’ll be there soon.

Love,  
Mary

Francis panicked when he finished reading the letter, he doesn’t want his wife to see her this way, weak and utterly useless, knowing that his wife gave up on waiting for him made him feel guilty. He also know that Mary’s just being forced to come here because he let her down, he’s been promising her that he’ll come to Scotland soon but he’s still here in France. He also knows that the Scots are waiting for him there, he must prove to them that the French are allies and his marriage to their queen is still strong, if Mary comes back to France now when her countrymen haven’t even see him yet, they’ll immediately think that their marriage is falling apart, and maybe it is. So Francis wrote a letter quickly to stop Mary from coming to France and assure her (once again) that he’ll be in Scotland soon.

He just finished writing a letter when he heard a knock from the door.

“Your grace, Nostradamus requests to visit you” one of the guards said

“Let him in” Francis replied

Nostradamus quietly walks towards Francis with a worried expression on his face

“How are you feeling your grace?”

“Dozens of people have been asking me that question lately” Francis said attempting to lighten up Nostradamus’ expression, but he seems unsuccessful

“Do the medicines relieve the pain that you’re feeling?”

“Yes, they’re very effective, thank you” Francis lied, he doesn’t need to make the whole castle worry about his condition

“Enough about me, how’s my father? Have you found any traces of poison in his food, or maybe some explanation that will explain his odd behavior?”

“I haven’t found anything yet your grace, but I didn’t come here to talk about your father, I need to tell you something”

“What is it about?” Francis inquired

“I know that you never believed my prophecies, but I think you should know that on the night of your wedding day, I saw your future with Mary, it was happy but brief, I saw that you’ll die of an ear infection” 

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“because I think you deserve to know it, you deserve to have the chance to say goodbye to the ones you love, if my prophecy is true, you don’t have much time left. I’m not telling this to scare you, nor to convince you, I just thought that you should know.” And just like that Nostradamus walks away

“Wait!” Francis said 

“You told my mother that it’s okay for me and Mary to get married, you told her that the prophecy was over, was that a lie?”

“I was wrong then”

“You could be wrong now” Francis said, refusing to believe what Nostradamus said

“I hope I am, because if my visions were true, your mother would have my head on a plate the same day your heart stop beating” Nostradamus closed the door leaving Francis stunned and wordless.

“This can’t be happening” he finally said out loud.


	7. Chapter 7

Mary and her servants have just begun packing when her mother came in.

“Mary, what are you doing?” her mother said clearly confused

“I’m packing my things mother, I’ll go back to France next week”

“I thought that you already received a letter from Francis, I’m sure he already assured you that he’s alright” her mother said

“he did, but I’m not convinced, he’s hiding something from me and I’m going to find out what it is” Mary said while helping her servant organize her things  
“sit down for a while Mary, let the servants do their jobs, you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t be tiring yourself”

Mary sits down near the fireplace and continued talking

“I’ve been here for four months mother, it’s time to go back to France, I’m sure you can handle the affairs here yourself now that the uprisings have stopped and all the things are under control, and besides I need to be with my husband when I give birth, and if he can’t come to me, I’ll go to him”

“and why can’t he come here? We’ve already discussed that it’s dangerous for you to travel, and still you insist, what is so important in France that your husband can’t even get himself board a ship and be with you? Does he even know that you’re pregnant?”

“I haven’t told him yet mother, I was planning to surprise him but it turns out the chain of events are the ones that surprised me, when sees me, he’ll immediately know, there won’t be any surprises left”

“you haven’t answered my question yet, why can’t he come here instead, what’s keeping him from coming to you?”

“I don’t know mother, he mentioned that Queen Catherine wouldn’t allow him to go here, he refused to tell me her reasons of doing so, but if I must go to France, I must go know, before the baby gets bigger and it would be harder for me to move let alone travel”

“very well Mary, it seems that I can convince you no more, just make sure that you and my grandchild will be safe”

“we will be mother, I promise you” her mother kissed her forehead and left the room.

~^oOo^~

Three days have passed, Mary and her servants have finished packing and she’ll just need to attend a few more ceremonies before she can go to France.

“little sweetheart we’ll see your father soon, are you excited?” she said while caressing her belly, she does this very often and she’s always delighted by the fact that a person is growing inside her, she’s so excited to see her child, although she knows that giving birth would be extremely painful.

“your father will be delighted when he sees us, I’m very sure that he’ll love you as much as he loves me, we’ve been waiting for you for so long” Mary can’t help but smile, she’s pregnant and she’ll see Francis and her friends soon, for the first time in a long time, she felt that she’s genuinely happy.

However, all her fantasies ended when she received a letter from Francis, after reading it, she can’t help but to feel angry. And now she reads it again, hoping that the content of the letter will change this time.

My dear Mary,

I’m afraid that I can’t allow you to go to France now, I know that I’ve let you down for not coming there as soon as I can but we both know that I should come there in person, I’m devoted to you and your country and that’s why your countrymen need to see us together there. I haven’t proven to them yet that I’m their ally, that Scotland and France are allies. You said it yourself that your advisers are expecting me there, and that’s why I’ll go there instead, just not now, things are complicated here in France. I know that I promised so many times that I will come to you, and yet here I am still, I’m sorry for not telling you the reason why I can’t leave France now but I assure you, there is nothing to be worried about.

I love you Mary, please don’t make this any harder  
Just trust me.

Love,   
Francis

Mary still can’t believe that Francis was the one hindering her to go back to France. She thought that he would be delighted when she informed her that they will be together soon, but apparently he’s not. Mary was so angry that she didn’t bother writing a response to her husband.


	8. Chapter 8

“so you’re awake” Bash said when he entered Francis’ room

“I think I am” Francis replied weakly

“I hardly even see you outside” 

“It’s because my mother insisted that I should rest, and I’ve been resting all day and all night, it came to a point when even resting is tiresome” Francis said helplessly

“I can help you escape, if you ask me to” 

“My mother will behead you if you do that” Francis said flippantly

“That seems a very harsh punishment, don’t you think?”

“My mother is harsh and always overreacting, you should know that by now, I’m the living proof of her overreacting nature, I have a mere ear ache and she assigned guards to assure that I will not escape.” Francis said with a half smile

“It’s good to hear that you’re making jokes about your condition now, a week ago you were so glum, you even look more glum than Nostradamus, by the way, how are things with you and Mary?” Bash said

“I wrote her a letter two weeks ago and she hasn’t responded yet” Francis said woefully

“Maybe the letter was just delayed, I’m sure it’s on its way now”

“I hope it is, I can’t afford if Mary gets angry with me now”

“Have you told her about your condition?”

“No, I haven’t, she doesn’t need to worry about me, I’ll get well soon”

“but she deserves to know, however trivial you think your condition may be”

“perhaps your right” Francis finally said after a few minutes

“Bash, I need to tell you something”

“what is it brother?”

“Nostradamus came to me one night, and he told me that he saw it in his visions that this ear infection will be the cause of my death” Francis said weakly

“Do you believe him?” Bash said the concern clear in his voice

“I don’t want to, but just in case something happened to me, please give this letter to Mary” Francis said while handling Bash the letter

“Stop talking like that, whatever it is that you want to tell Mary, you can tell her yourself, you said that this is just a mere ear infection, that you’ll get well soon, you can’t give up now, Mary will be devastated if she lose you” Bash said convincing his brother 

“That’s why I need you to promise me that you’ll look after for her when I’m gone” Francis said with a trembling voice, Bash crumbled, he has never seen his brother so vulnerable, he can now see that there are tears forming in Francis’ blue eyes and he was trying his best to remain strong.

“You can’t act like this Francis, please tell me that you won’t let yourself be defeated by an ear infection, this is silly! You were born to be a ruler, a king, a leader, you need to be strong, not just for Mary’s sake but for the sake of Scotland and France!” Bash said compellingly

“Promise me you would fight this, prove to me Nostradamus can be wrong. If you die like this, I’ll never forgive you brother” Bash said before leaving Francis’ room

“I’ve stop making promises I can’t keep Bash, I’m sorry” Francis mumbled a few moment after Bash left his room.

~^oOo^~

“Mary, why did you order your servants to unpack your things?” Marie de Guise said to his daughter

“I thought you’d be delighted if I stay here mother” Mary muttered weakly 

“Well I am delighted dear but is there something wrong? Has something happened in France?” her mother said clearly puzzled

“Francis doesn’t want me to go back yet, he said he’ll come here instead” Mary replied

“oh, so you told him that you’re pregnant?”

“No mother, that isn’t the reason why he doesn’t want me back in France, he’s making an alibi” 

“so how long will you stay?” her mother asked

“I don’t know mother, I just don’t understand why this is happening. Francis has always mentioned in his letters that he misses me but when I told him that I’ll come back to France he suddenly want to stop me, it doesn’t make any sense”

“stop over thinking about it, it’s-“

“bad for the baby, I know” Mary said finishing what her mother was about to say

“well I’m happy that your staying, but I’m not happy about what’s happening between you and Francis, I’m not going to say that everything is going to be alright, because it won’t, not unless you do something about it.” Her mother said decisively


	9. Chapter 9

Francis has just finished sealing his letter for Mary when Queen Catherine walked inside his room

“Francis, why are you still up? You need to rest now” Queen Catherine said demandingly 

“I was just writing a letter to Mary, I’ll sleep soon, what about you, why are you still awake, mother?” Francis answered

“I was just checking up on you dear, how are you feeling?”

“mother, that’s the fifth time you ask me that today” 

“I’m just worried about you Francis, Nostradamus said you’re not getting any better, the medicines that you’re taking are all ineffective” Catherine said while holding Francis’ hand

“You don’t have to worry about me mother” 

“but I can’t help it, you’re my son, France’s heir to the throne, I’m not the only one worried about you, the whole nation is.”

“well they don’t have to be, you should worry more about father, how is he? He visited me earlier and he seems fine, does he still take his medicine?”

“he does, but he is far from fine, but don’t you worry about your father, I can handle him”

“I’m worried” Francis said with unease

“I told you, you don’t have to worry about your father”

“not about father, about Mary” 

“What about her?”

“she hasn’t responded to my letter yet, that’s why I wrote another, maybe she wasn’t able to receive the one I sent two weeks ago”

“why don’t you just let me go to her, mother? Please I beg of you” Francis added pleadingly 

“you are sick Francis, what if something happens to you on your way there? We’ve already discussed this and I won’t change my decision, why don’t you just tell Mary to go here?”

“I don’t want her to see me like this, and Scotland needs her there, I don’t want to make her choose between me and her country” 

“have you at least told her about your condition? You know it very well that she’ll find out sooner or later, and it’s best that she heard it first from you. Word of you being ill is spreading like wildfire in France alone, tell her now before it’s too late.”

“I already mentioned it in this letter, I’ll send it tomorrow, I just hope that she wouldn’t worry about me too much, she’s already carrying too many burdens right now, I don’t want to burden her too”

“what do you expect? She’s your wife, of course she’ll be worried and Francis, you’re anything but a burden, please stop speaking like that and get some rest, I’ll visit you again tomorrow”

Catherine stroked Francis’ face one last time and left the room, but Francis is still awake. He thinks of Mary while he lies on his bed, he tried to remember everything about her, her beautiful brown eyes, her stunning smile, her playful giggles, her distinctive smell and her long wavy hair. And for a moment he wondered if he will ever get to see her face again. 

~^oOo^~  
A few days later

“You asked for me mother?” Mary asked her mother as she walks slowly to the comfy chair beside the fireplace

“Oh Mary, I’ve got some dire news from France” her mother said full of melancholy

“What is it mother?” Mary suddenly became very nervous

“Your husband is unwell” her mother said with minimal voice

“unwell? Wha- how- why?” Mary said clearly shocked and devastated about the news she just heard, she hasn’t heard from Francis for the last two weeks and he never mentioned to her that he’s sick

“I don’t know Mary, you should ask Francis yourself, news that travels here isn’t entirely accurate, write him a letter and confirm if this news is true” and with that Mary stormed out of her mother’s room and went directly to her bed chambers. Moments later, she found an unopened letter from Francis, she remembers it now, days ago she received a letter from her husband and she didn’t even bother to open it because she was still angry with him. And now she regrets that awful decision of hers and began reading the letter

My dearest Mary,

I noticed that you did not respond to my letter so I thought that maybe you’re angry with me, and in truth I can’t really blame you if you do. I have failed you in so many ways, I failed as your husband, I failed as your king and I failed on keeping my promises to you and for that I’m truly sorry. I know you might not forgive me for not telling you the truth earlier, but please do understand that I don’t want to burden you with my problems, I haven’t helped you with anything for the last five months, I wasn’t there when you needed me, I wasn’t there when you’re alone, I wasn’t there to rule by your side and I would feel bad if I load you with problems you weren’t supposed to bear so I thought it best if you simply didn’t know, but I’m telling you know because I don’t want you to know it from someone else. I would have wanted to tell you there myself but circumstances seem to be so determined to keep us apart.

I have an ear infection Mary, at first I thought it wasn’t so serious but later I found out that this could be life threatening, I don’t mean to scare you, I just don’t want you to hold on to false hope. I’m not saying that I’m dying; I’m just saying that the possibility of me dying is extremely high. 

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I know that all the apologies in the world wouldn’t be enough for you to forgive me, but still, I just wanted you to know that I really am sorry. I’m sorry for all the things I did that hurt you, but most of all, I’m sorry for bringing you pain.

I don’t know if we will see each other, maybe we will, maybe we won’t, of all the uncertainties in the world, there is only one thing I’m sure of;

I love you, I’ll always do.

Love,  
Francis

Mary is crying now, some of the writings are smudged by her tears. Ever since she was a child she always thought that crying will somehow relieve the pain that you’re feeling inside, and when you’re done crying, you will feel so much better, but now she proves to herself that that isn’t true, because she knows it deep inside that even though she cries a thousand tears, it won’t be enough to ease the pain.


	10. Chapter 10

Mary has just finished crying when she rushed to her mother’s room

“Mother, I’ll go to France now, I’ve already told my servants to pack my things” 

“oh darling, you look awful!” her mother said while wiping the tears of her face

“mother, have you heard what I said? I’m going to France now” Mary said with urgency

“but Mary you can’t, there’s a storm coming” 

“but I need to go to France now! Francis needs me” Mary said firmly

“and I need you to be safe, wait until the storm passes and then you’ll go to France with my blessing”

“by that time, it might be too late” Mary said helplessly

“What are you talking about Mary? I don’t understand, I know that your husband is unwell but you don’t need to rush to see him, I’m sure he isn’t going to appreciate you risking your life for him.” 

“the storm hasn’t come yet, I’ll go now”

“Mary you’re not going anywhere!”

“My husband is dying mother and the more time I waste here, the less chance I’ll see him alive”

“how would you know that he’s dying? You haven’t even wrote him a letter yet”

“I received a letter from him days ago, I refused to open it because I was still angry with him. I just read it and it says there that he may not survive. Now please mother, he might never know that I’m pregnant with his child, let me go to France” Mary said with tears now forming in her eyes, her mother couldn’t hide her sympathy for her daughter. They hugged for a moment and finally her mother spoke

“you can go to France but in one condition, bring the midwife with you. She’ll make sure that you and your baby are safe. You’re almost six months pregnant but there’s still a chance for miscarriage.”

Mary smiled for a bit and spoke 

“I’ll be very careful mother” and with that she’s gone. Her mother prays that her daughter and her grandchild will be safe.

~^oOo^~

There it is again, the pain, he thought he would already get used to it but he doesn’t. He tries to keep himself from screaming because if he screams, his mother and brother will rush to his room looking hysterical. He grabs a pillow, buries his face into it and screamed, the pain is unbearable, he’s been tossing and turning on his bed for three straight hours and the pain is still there. He puts his hands in both sides of his head while whispering 

“Make it stop, please make it stop”

Then he finally admits it to himself, he doesn’t really want Mary to stay in Scotland, he doesn’t care if she sees him like this, he just wants her here.

“Mary please, I need you” were the last words he utter before he screams in pain.  
~^oOo^~

“your grace, I’m afraid we have to rest for now, I’ll go find some inn for us to stay for the night” Leila, her midwife said

“I’m not tired yet, I can still travel, and we’re already in France, we can’t stop now”

“but your grace, the storm is already here, if we travel by carriage it would be dangerous, there would be floods on our way”

Mary looked at Leila carefully, she knows she’s right but it pains her to delay their journey

“we’ll stay for one night and when the storm passes we’ll travel right away”

“yes, your grace” 

~^oOo^~

“how are you feeling, brother?” Bash said to his younger brother

“the same way I felt yesterday, and the day before that and the day before that” Francis said with a half smile

“you haven’t been sleeping are you? You look exhausted”

“Ironic isn’t it? I do nothing but sleep and yet I look exhausted” Francis said almost jokingly, Bash remained silent

“don’t look at me like that Bash” Francis said

“like what?”

“like I’m going to disappear into thin air any minute” Francis said but Bash still remained silent the worry in his eyes noticeable

“I don’t need your pity Bash, I need you to be strong, not for me but for Mary” Francis said calmly

“how many times will I tell you brother? Don’t talk like that, you’ll get better, and you’ll see Mary again”

“Bash, your optimism is unbelievably high” Francis said while trying to remain cheerful

“sometimes I wonder, if only Mary chose you over me, she wouldn’t me in pain right now, she wouldn’t be alone in Scotland, because you can always put her first… if I’ve known that this would happen, I wouldn’t have come back here and break your engagement, if you married Mary, she would be happy. Knowing that I was the cause of her agony pains me even more than my ear infection.” Francis said with defeat in his voice

“did you hit your head with a rock brother? Because all the things you just said are far from true, I’m not telling you this to comfort you but because this is the truth. Mary chose you because she told me she loves you more, she chose you willingly and I’m sure that if she were given the chance to go back in time, she will still choose you. When you left, I thought Mary and I would have a chance, that maybe, just maybe, she’ll love me the same way she loved you, but she never did. She never looked at me the same way she looks at you, I never made her smile the same way that you do. I thought she loved me too but it was only you in her heart all along. You might bring pain to your wife now but you’re her one true source of happiness. Don’t ever forget that.” And with that, Bash left the room leaving Francis astounded.


	11. Chapter 11

Mary was used to the attention she was receiving, she was a queen after all, it was natural for the people to look and bow to her, what she’s not used to however, is the glance that the people have been throwing at her, it wasn’t a look of respect or admiration at the very least, they were look of shock and sympathy. Well maybe they were shock to see her pregnant, but the sympathetic looks? She doesn’t quite understand them. Finally, Mary found Catherine, but what’s odd is she’s weeping

“Catherine, what happened? Why are you crying? And some of the servants are throwing me sympathetic looks, would you please tell me what’s going on? Mary said demandingly

“My son, your husband, died earlier this morning” 

Mary can almost hear here world crumble, she puts her hand on his belly as if attempting to hide from her child that his/her father is dead. Francis is dead? My husband is dead? This can’t be happening, please, please someone tell me this isn’t true, thousands of thoughts run in her head but she managed to speak to Catherine

“That’s not true” Mary said while tears are running on her cheeks, she unconsciously walks backwards in disbelief

“Please tell me that my husband is alive, please Catherine” Mary said pleadingly

“We found him lifeless on his bed this morning, there were stains of blood in his pillow”

“You’re lying!” Mary shouted still unable to believe the dreadful news

“I wish I am Mary, do you think I like delivering this news to you?”

“Where is he? I need to see him.” Mary said hoping that when she sees her husband, his eyes would still be open and he’d be delighted to see his wife and her growing belly

“He’s in the infirmary” Catherine muttered

~^oOo^~

Mary barged in the infirmary and found Nostradamus

“Where is Francis?” Mary said as her voice trembled. Nostradamus points to a lifeless body covered by white cloth.

“I’m sorry Mary, I wasn’t able to save him” that’s all that Nostradamus said, there’s nothing he can say to ease Mary’s pain so he just decided to leave her alone with Francis.

Mary walks slowly to the lifeless body, she never imagined that their reunion would be like this, she gently removed the white cloth covering its face, and that’s when she broke down. Francis is dead, she’s now seeing him with her very own eyes, lifeless, pale, thin, firm, he isn’t breathing and he’s heart isn’t beating. She kissed his forehead and murmured

“Why did you leave me Francis? Why didn’t you wait for me to come back?” she said while caressing his face now wet because of her tears

“We are going to have a child, how do you expect me to raise him alone?” she said while sobbing

“I need you Francis” she’s crying uncontrollably now, she touched his blond curls gently and kissed his forehead once again

She stayed still for a few moments and finally whispered

“I will always love you” she left the room and glances back at least three times before closing the door, she couldn’t stand to see her husband that way although it pains her to leave him, she went to her chambers and closed the door quickly, she leans herself to it and slowly slides down as she buries her face in her hands.  
~^oOo^~

Kenna, Lola and Greer are all in Mary’s room to comfort her, and though they know Mary is inconsolable right now, they still stayed to be with their queen.

“My child would never see her father, just like me, he/she will grow up with only one parent” Mary said while crying, she’s been crying for hours now but her tears seem to be infinite  
“That’s why you need to be strong Mary, your child only has you” Lola said

“You’re not alone Mary, we’re here for you, we will always be” Greer said while holding Mary’s hand

“I know there’s nothing we can do to ease your pain now but we’re here” Kenna said helplessly

“I know that you’re all here for me and I’m thankful for that, I just don’t know what to do without Francis, I used to think that I can do anything with him by my side, but now that he isn’t here—“ Mary wasn’t able to finish what she’s about to say and begin crying again. Her friends can do nothing but hug her as she cries irrepressibly for a few more hours.

\------------------------

“Wake up your grace, wake up!” Leila said with panic in her voice 

Mary opened her eyes and looked to Leila with confusion, they were still on the carriage and they haven’t arrived in French court yet

“You were just dreaming, your grace”

Mary let her words sink in as she wiped her tears, she has been crying while dreaming and now she feel so relieved knowing that her husband might still survive and she might still see him alive. The pain she felt while dreaming seemed real and agonizing as well, she wouldn’t want to experience that again, even if it was just in a bad dream.

“your grace, you’re bleeding!” Leila said, the urgency in her voice clear

Mary looked down and saw what her midwife is referring to, her dress is now wet with blood. She have been unaware of her physical state because of her dream and when she sees her dress soaked with blood, she begins to panic, she felt the same pain she experienced while seeing Francis dead in her dream, but this is different, this is not a dream, this is real, she wish she’s still dreaming but unfortunately, she isn’t it.

She touched Leila’s arm and mumbled while teary-eyed

“Save my baby, please…I beg of you.”


	12. Chapter 12

Mary woke up and saw a familiar ceiling, she is in the infirmary lying on one of the beds, it took her a few seconds to remember what happened before she fell asleep. She was just trying to get up when she heard someone enter the room.

“Mary!” Francis rushed to her side

“Don’t get up just yet, you still need to rest.” Francis said calmly while holding her hand

“Francis” was all that she said while squeezing his hand, she’s now relieved that her husband is here, sitting safely beside her, he look pale and thin but nevertheless, alive. Tears are slowly forming in her eyes and she saw her husband panicked 

“What’s wrong Mary? Does something hurt?” Francis said, his voice panic-stricken

“I’m alright… I’m just glad that you’re here” she said while caressing his face. 

“how are you feeling, does your ear still hurt?” Mary added

“it still hurts occasionally but you don’t need to worry about me now, you must rest Mary, we’re lucky we didn’t lose our baby” he said as his hands moved from her face to her belly

“will you stay here with me?” Mary said almost pleadingly

“of course Mary, I will never leave your side again” Francis said while he kissed her forehead

They stayed still for a few moments but Francis finally spoke to break the silence

“…why didn’t you tell me about your pregnancy?” Francis asked 

“I wanted to surprise you, I didn’t want to inform you through a mere letter, I wanted to tell you in person, to see the look in your face when you realize that you’re going to be a father” Mary said serenely

“I should have been there with you in Scotland, I should have been there to take care of you, to fulfill your needs, and you shouldn’t have gone through your pregnancy alone. I wasn’t there when you needed me and for that I’m truly sorry. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you or our baby”

“but nothing happened to us Francis, you don’t need to fill yourself with guilt, I forgive you, you’re here now and that’s what matters. You only need to promise me one thing” 

“What is it?”

“Promise me that you’ll never leave us alone, don’t let our child be fatherless, promise me you’ll get better, I won’t be able to raise our child alone…Francis please… promise me” Mary said with tears in her eyes

“I promise you Mary, didn’t I tell you? I’ll never leave your side again” Francis pledged to his wife

Their lips met, Mary grabbed the back of Francis’ head and pulled him closer, and Francis did the same. They spent all afternoon together, hoping that this time, no one would pull them apart, this time, they would put each other first above everything else, even their duties as king and queen.

~^oOo^~

2 months later

Mary was looking out the window when Francis slipped his arms around her, attempting to comfort her and lessen her fears

“Francis, if I don’t survive childbirth, please take care of our child” Mary said as she squeeze her husband’s hand

“please don’t say that Mary, you will survive it, we will raise our child together and we will witness them grow old and have children of their own” Francis said and kissed his wife forehead

Mary remained silent

“stop worrying about it Mary, we will get through this together, we always do” Francis said assuring his wife

“I’m just glad that you’re here by my side, the first months of my pregnancy were unbearable without you” Mary said now facing her husband, her hands are on his arms and her eyes are locked on his

“I’ll never leave you again, both of you” Francis said as he kneels in front of Mary and leans his head towards Mary’s enlarged abdomen

“Your father is here now and I can’t wait to see you” Francis said

Mary can’t hide her smile when Francis looked up to her

“I’m very lucky to have you as my husband, you’re going to be a great father to our children” Mary said as she touch Francis’ curls

“I hope I will be…I’m your king and the Dauphin of France, but being a father to our children is what I value the most” 

“Thank you Francis” Mary said while touching her husband’s face. Francis caught her hand and kissed her palm

“You need not thank me for anything Mary, you’re my wife and soon you’ll be the mother of my children and for that you made me the happiest man alive… I love you” Francis said as he leans down to Mary and brought his lips to her.


	13. Chapter 13

“Francis… Francis wake up” Mary said while she touches her husband’s shoulder. The midwife told her that the baby will come any day now, she felt Francis stir and look at her in alarm.

“What’s wrong Mary?” Francis said worriedly

“I think the baby’s coming.” Mary said as she touches her belly 

And with that Francis stood up in a quick motion

“Can you stand Mary? We must get you to the birthing chamber quick” Francis said as he helps his wife stand up

Mary moans in pain as she felt another contraction, she was already on her feet but she decided to sit again on the edge of their bed

“I don’t think I can Francis” Mary said as a tear escapes in her eyes, she didn’t expect the pain to be this agonizing, she haven’t even given birth yet but the pain is already unbearable

“but you have to Mary, I’m here and I’ll be here every step of the way, please be strong for our child” Francis said as he wipes the tear off Mary’s cheeks

Mary looks up to Francis and tries to stand up again, ignoring all the pain. Her husband is right, it’s true that she have been fearful and yet excited for this moment to come and she can’t let the fear get on her way, she will get through this, they will get through this…together.

~^oOo^~

“But you have to let me in, she’s my wife!” Francis said angrily

“I’m sorry Francis but only women are allowed inside the room while Mary is giving birth” Queen Catherine said to her son

“But she needs me by her side! You know it well enough that Mary is afraid of giving birth, I should be there to comfort her!”

“Francis! Weren’t you listening? I want you to be with your wife, believe me, I do…but you are not allowed inside the birthing chamber, now leave this to me and I will make sure your wife and your baby will be safe.” Catherine said while she touched his sons face. And with that Queen Catherine entered the room leaving Francis standing helplessly outside.

~^oOo^~

He’s now walking back and forth in the hallway while he hears Mary screams in pain inside the chamber, he can’t contain his concern about his wife and their baby, he needs to make sure that both of them will get through this safely. He’s aware that there’s a high possibility of the mother dying while giving birth, the stakes are the same in terms of the baby. I can’t lose them, either one of them…I’ll go crazy if that happens Francis said to himself as he continue to walk outside the room. He’s also aware that giving birth is a long process, it’s been 8 hours now and the baby still hasn’t come out yet. His mother comes out of the room from time to time to convince him that it will be alright and that he should get some sleep. But how can he sleep when he hears his wife screams in pain and he hates that he couldn’t do anything about it, he have never felt this helpless before. His thoughts were disturbed when the door opened.

“Francis, why are you still here?” His mother said to him 

“I won’t leave until you let me see my wife and child, mother”

“The midwife said that the baby will come out soon, but Francis you need to rest, you shouldn’t be tiring yourself, you haven’t completely recovered from your ear infection yet” Catherine said

“You shouldn’t worry about me now mother, your grandchild is about to be born, please just make sure that Mary and my child will be alright” Francis said pleadingly

“I will Francis” Catherine said, she walks inside the chamber and slowly closed the door. Francis saw his wife for that brief moment, he can tell that she’s been sweating a lot and is in a lot of pain, but nevertheless alright, the glimpse of her made him hope that maybe in the morning, he will finally be with his wife and see their child. 

~^oOo^~

“Francis” her mother said  
“I think you can come in now” Catherine said with a smile on her face

Francis walked hurriedly inside the room and the first person he saw was his wife

“Mary…” Francis said as he reached for his wife, Mary cried in relief as she buries her face into Francis’ chest. She did it, she actually did it she said to herself 

“I’m here now Mary… you did well” Francis mumbles as he wipes off tears on Mary’s face and caresses her cheeks.

“Your grace, it’s a boy” The midwife said as she handles the little babe to Francis’ arms. Francis couldn’t believe what he’s seeing, this child is not only the future heir to the throne of France and Scotland but most importantly the fruit of his and Mary’s love for each other.

“Mary… he’s beautiful” Francis said while grinning widely to his wife, he leans in closer to her so she can see their child as well.

“What should we name him?” Francis added

“I think we should call him James” Mary said as she kissed her baby’s forehead, right now she feels like she’s the happiest person in the world, her husband and child is safely beside her and in that moment she couldn’t ask for anything more.


	14. Chapter 14

“shhh James, it’s all right… I’m here” Francis helplessly said while caressing his son’s back, he doesn’t want to wake Mary up especially when she just got back to sleep after feeding James, unfortunately, James didn’t sleep for long before he cries again.

Francis goes out of their bed chamber with James in a very quiet manner; he worries for his wife because she’s not getting enough sleep since she gave birth to their son. It has been 4 months now and James has gotten a little bigger and heavier since. Mary refused to get a wet nurse for him because she wants to take care of him herself, but the downside is that she’s always tired, from morning till evening, if she isn’t with James, she’s with her court advisers having meetings and discussing political dealings concerning Scotland and France. 

“Oh James, will you please sleep now, it’s not even dawn yet, it’s too early for you to be awake”

James looks up to his father as if he understands what Francis is trying to say, his bright blue eyes are identical to his father but he inherited his lush dark brown hair from his mother. He clenched his hand into a small fist and began yawning, his small mouth forming a little “o”, he bats his eyes lazily as Francis carries him back to their chamber.

“at last James, you’re finally falling asleep” Francis smiles as he touches James’ back gently, it’s not every day that he’s able to get James to sleep without Mary’s help, this time he wants to do it on his own, being a king is an overwhelming role but being a father is more fulfilling.

Francis quietly crawls back to bed after he put down James on his crib, unfortunately, he felt Mary stir.

“Francis…where have you been?” Mary said as she rubs her eyes, her voice quite groggy

“James woke up, I helped him back to sleep” Francis said, quite disappointed of himself for waking Mary up

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Mary said as she scoots closer to her husband, her head on his chest as she leans up to meet his eyes

“I didn’t want to wake you, you’ve been restless this past few days, months even, you deserve some rest.” Francis said as he gently touches the strands of Mary’s hair, he intertwined his other hand with hers

“I know, but our family’s worth it, you haven’t have enough rest yourself, I still worry about your ear infection” Mary said as she squeezes Francis’ hands

“You need not worry about me Mary, I’m alright now, I’m sure Nostradamus already mentioned that to you… Don’t be afraid, I promised you didn’t I? I will not let you face all of these alone, especially now that we already have a child, and in the future we’ll have dozens of children, and I’ll still be here” Francis said and kissed Mary’s forehead tenderly. Mary giggled after hearing this, she looks through Francis’ blue eyes and realized that he is sincere.

“You really want to have a dozen children?” Mary said jokingly

“Well if the Lord will give us that many, I will gladly accept” Francis said

“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one giving birth you know” Mary said still smiling

“Mary, I would gladly take away all the pain you experienced while giving birth… sometimes I wish that I should be the one in your place, I can’t stand seeing you in pain” Francis said as his hand travels to Mary’s arm

“I don’t think you’ll look good having a big bump on your abdomen, my husband” Mary said unable to hide her laughter

“Well if it will save you all the pain, I would gladly look hideous for you, my wife” Francis laughingly 

“that’s considering that your skinny legs could endure all the weight of our baby” Mary giggled

“may I remind you, my wife that my ‘skinny legs’ have endured carrying you several times while we make love on the wall” Francis said with a wide grin while Mary slaps her gently on the chest

“Francis!” Mary said with a blush

“Why, isn’t it true?” Francis said clearly amused

“Well you have the wall for support you know, I didn’t have a wall to support me when I was carrying James, and mind you, our son was quite heavy” Mary said still with a smile on her face

“well you didn’t have a wall but you have a handsome husband that is always at your side” Francis said as he continue caressing Mary’s lower back

“well I guess my handsome husband is more than enough to support me” Mary said as she plants a small kiss on Francis’ cheeks

“I love you, Francis” Mary added

“you have no idea how much I love you more, Mary… I have never dreamed of this, me marrying for love and not for duty alone, me having a wife and a child that loves me so dearly… you and James are everything I could ever wish for, you both made my life worth living” Francis said as he kisses Mary compassionately

“we both should get some sleep, we’ll have a long day tomorrow” Francis said when he broke the kiss

Mary remained quiet for a few moments before falling back to sleep in Francis’ arms, she have never dreamed of this either, all her life no one have loved her as much as Francis, and she’s very grateful for that. With Francis and James on her side she knows that she can overcome anything.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Mary wakes up as the warm sunlight touches her cheek; she was surprised that she wasn’t woken up by her son’s cry today. She reaches for her husband but was disappointed when she realized that he wasn’t there. He might have started his day early by meeting with his court advisers, he’s now King of France as Henry died because of a jousting accident nearly a month ago, a lot has happened since then and their family is busier than ever, they rarely get a morning that isn’t disturb by urgent matters of the state, her son James is now a year old and she is yet to tell Francis the great news. She lies on their bed for a few moments before getting up and putting on her robe.

Her servant entered a few seconds later “Your grace, may I be of service?” 

“no thank you, but… have you seen my husband?” Mary asked the servant

“He went to the garden with James, your grace” she replied

“oh, thank you, you may leave” Mary said as the servant bowed her head before leaving

*castle grounds*

“There are my husband and son” Mary said while approaching Francis and her child

“Oh look James, your mother’s awake” Francis said as he passes his son to his wife

“did you sleep well, darling?” Francis added

“I did, but I was quite disappointed when I woke up and you weren’t by my side” Mary said as she touches Francis’ cheeks while holding James in her left hand

“I’m sorry, I just thought that it would be good for James to go outside, my mother said that early morning sunrays are good for our baby” Francis said caressing his son’s back. Mary leans to Francis and gives him a quick yet tender kiss on the lips, Francis can’t help but smile when they pull apart

“What was that for?” He said clearly delighted by his wife’s sweet gesture

“nothing… I’m just thankful that we get to share this morning together, with no one else present, just our little family” Mary said as James slowly tugs her long hair, his hands tangled with it

“I know darling, I’ve just been so busy lately and I don’t want to miss our son growing, I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since you gave birth to him—do you remember our sleepless nights when James was about a month old and he kept on crying all night long?” Francis said with a chuckle as he carefully removes his son’s hand that is tightly gripping Mary’s hair

Mary smiled as she relieved those memories, those were the times when being a parent was still a shock to both of them, they don’t just have to be responsible for their people but more importantly for their own child, but although they were both restless and stressed for the first few months, all their hardships were worth it when she looks at the child on her chest, his tiny brown curls now covers his forehead while his bright blue eyes stares at her playfully, he’s basically a little Francis except for the color of his hair, Mary adjusts him to her side as she slowly feels his weight, Catherine said he’s pretty heavy for a one year old baby and though he can now walk by himself, Mary still enjoys carrying him whenever they walk around the castle. 

“I remember it quite clearly, you look so tired during those nights that I actually thought you’d pass out the next morning” Mary laughed as she teased her husband but her tone grew a little more serious when she spoke

“but I hope you wouldn’t mind having dark circles below your eyes again for the coming months?” Mary said as she touches his chest

“wha—wait, are you—?” Francis said his eyes a mix of confusion and excitement, he looks from Mary’s hopeful face down to her abdomen

“I am with child, our second child—” Mary said but wasn’t able to complete what she’s going to say as Francis brought his lips to hers

“I love you” Francis uttered as he kissed her forehead and then caressed his son’s cheeks

“you’re going to have a sibling, little James. Our family’s getting bigger and soon enough you’ll have someone to play with” Francis said with excitement in his voice

“Nostradamus said I’m 2 months pregnant and soon enough we’ll have another little royal in the castle” Mary said as she touched her belly

“ a castle full of little royals, remember?” Francis said as he kneels down to Mary and talks to the baby inside her

“hey there little one, I’m your father—” Francis said but was interrupted by James’ little whimpers, he tries to shove his brown curls out of his eyes but failed miserably

“he’s already competing with his sibling for your attention” Mary said to Francis jokingly as she tacks James’ stray hair behind his ear, clearing his view

“come here” Francis said to James as he slowly lowers him to the ground, James stands quite steadily but still clutches Mary’s dress to his fist, he eyes his father oddly as Francis continues to lean on Mary’s belly

“this is your brother James, and we’re all very excited to meet you… you might as well get used to my voice now because you’ll be hearing my annoying voice every single day, I’ll never leave your mother side and I’ll be right beside her when you come into this world” Francis said and then kissed her wife’s abdomen

“is that a promise?” Mary said when Francis stands again and lifted James up with him

“yes, I’ll do right by our second child, I wasn’t there with you when you were pregnant with James, I’ve missed all those chances because I was too occupied here in France while you’re alone in Scotland”

“Mary, I’m sorry, I really am… I—I don’t want to be a bad father” Francis said

“Francis” Mary said as she pressed her forehead to his

“you are not a bad father… you never were and you never will be” Mary said trying to convince Francis

“I hope so… I’m afraid I’ll be like my father… I want you to know that I will put our family first…always” Francis said as his arms traveled to the back of her neck, pulling her closer. James on the other hand eyes his parents confusingly, he stares at his father then to his mother, Francis holds him close and James grips his father’s curls in return, he then traced the embroidered patterns on his fathers’ vest as he feels slightly uncomfortable as he’s being squashed as his parents pull each other closer

“I know” Mary caressed her husband’s cheek and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, she noticed James reaching for his father’s buttons and tries to pull it out of the cloth

“we better go inside and I’ll feed James before he confuse one of your buttons with candy” Mary said with a chuckle, the light atmosphere between them returning, she reached for James to go with her but Francis refused

“Mary, you’re pregnant—I think I should hold James from now on, he’s quite heavy and you’ll get tired if you carry him all day” Francis said with concern, Mary tried to protest but then agreed with Francis later on, although she still thinks that she should be allowed to carry James from time to time (maybe when Francis is not looking) she’s overwhelmed by Francis’ concern for her and their baby, for the next months it will be like this… Mary being stubborn as usual, Francis being overly concerned all the time and James just being James, carefree and jolly without any reason, together they are a perfect little family and in a few months they will welcome another baby… maybe this time he or she will have Francis’ blond curls and Mary’s dark eyes or maybe a blend of them both.


End file.
